X-Men Evolution: Season 5
by Gyotso
Summary: Join the X-Men once again in life beyond high school. After the triumph over Apocalypse (X-Men Evolution), the X-Men are still hard at work to prepare for what lies ahead. Old enemies become new friends as the X-Men must learn to evolve to a different level of power if they are to survive the future Professor Xavier foresaw in the mind of En Sabah Nur. MCs subject to change.


**My last attempt at an X-Men Evolution fanfiction was shot down hard. So, I came up with some new ideas when I rewatched the show this past week or so.**

 **This will be titled Season 5 until I have given more thought to the permanent title.**

* * *

"X-Men! Let's go!" Cyclops called out, leading Iceman and Nightcrawler forward while Jean and Rogue led two other separate teams toward their enemy.

Nightcrawler sped ahead and teleported, taking out two guards before Cyclops did his part.

He set the visor to extreme and blasted his way through the door.

"Iceman!" Cyclops called out, pointing to the circuitry.

"Cold!" He said, after a job well done.

"Company." Nightcrawler declared, noticing a dozen armed guards.

"Take them." Cyclops said into the microphone.

Rogue, Shadowcat, and Berserker attacked them from behind. They attacked with enough speed that couldn't be matched by surprise.

"Woah!" Nightcrawler teleported to Cyclops and teleported him away from a deflecting laser beam.

"Thanks, keep moving towards the objective."

"On it." Jean replied over the comm.

"Nightcrawler, go help Bravo Team."

Nightcrawler nodded and disappeared.

Another large group of guards barged in.

"Iceman, let's deal with these guys."

...

By the time the guards and their reinforcements had arrived, there was victory in Bravo Team.

Jean, Nightcrawler, Magma, Sunspot, and Cannonball had retrieved the necessary information and taken down the Sentinel guards.

"Let's go." Cyclops called out, seeing Bravo. He created another doorway with his power eye-bazookas and led the charge out of the building when more reinforcements arrived.

"Iceman, cover our escape!" Jean called out.

Iceman froze a wall where Cyclops had blown as soon as everyone got out.

"Shadowcat watch ut!" Rogue called out, right when Shadowcat was tackled.

She phased through her attacker while Cyclops blasted him off the edge of the rock bridge.

"Crawler!" Jean shouted, catching the man with her psychic abilities.

When Nightcrawler had returned with the prisoner, Rogue knocked him out and they continued to run.

"That's a lot of guns, Cyclops!" Magma warned.

"Cannonball, go!"

Cyclops blasted first while Sunspot and Iceman followed suit, letting Cannonball take care of the rest by knocking them down with his powers of excessive force when it comes to knocking things down.

"Good job, let's move." Jean said, waving her hand.

Cyclops hung back.

 _'Now, Cyclops.'_ A voice in his head warned him.

He blasted Shadowcat and Nightcrawler first, then Jean and Iceman.

"What are doing?" Iceman demanded.

He blasted him too.

"Run!" Sunspot shouted, trying to get some energy going.

Cyclops blasted him as well.

'"We have to fight." Rogue told them.

"We can't take him!" Magma complained, "He's better than anyone..."

To prove her point, Cyclops blasted Rogue.

"Now.. it's just us." Cyclops said, laughing.

...

"Well, that went well." Nightcrawler complained, rubbing his back. "You couldn't have dialed down the laser beams man? My back still aches."

Cyclops shrugged, "Professor X told me to take all of you out."

"And what's up with that?" Jean asked, slightly upset that she hadn't been clued in on the last second lesson change.

"I needed to understand where the younger students were in their training. Their skills are impressive, but more powerful mutants and betrayal are not something they are yet ready to overcome." Professor Xavier explained, rolling towards them. "I expect all of you to do better, this will not be the last time a lesson is made of a routine mission with the other X-Men."

They groaned about Scott and the unfair fight, but they agreed to work harder. Which was all Professor Xavier wanted, so he left it at that.

"I had to keep this from you." Xavier explained to Jean, "You, Shadowcat, and Nightcrawler could all easily avoid or deflect his optic beams. My hope was that Rogue would assume command as she did, once the other two team leaders were out of the picture."

"But I didn't win." Rogue complained.

"Yes, but Scott's training far outreaches your own or even theirs." Charles pointed out. "But for as long as it is possible that your minds be controlled and warped against us, we must be prepared to fight even within our own ranks." He turned the joystick so that he could head towards the elevator. "Which is why tomorrow, the older student's will have to battle each other in the Danger Room simulations. After each of you have successfully defeated the other five in battle, you will be divided up into teams with goals that oppose the other's."

The X-Men looked at each other and tried to imagine fighting each other, which they had done to some degree on several different occasions when various members of their team had been under mind control. But they'd never actually trained for that kind of experience.

"Is that really necessary?" Kitty asked.

"Given the recent disasters we've faced, I'd say it is more necessary now more than ever." Professor Xavier explained, "Apocalypse will return one day. And we must be ready to stop him, and whoever he strings along."

With that cheerful thought, they loaded the elevator and went on with their day.

...

"I'm really sorry about earlier..." Scott apologized.

Jean replied, "It's no big deal. I was just surprised when the person I trust most..."

Scott gripped her hands in his, "I would never betray you."

"I know." She said, gently pressing her lips to his. "It's just unnerving."

Scott smiled.

They held hands while they walked through the grounds.

Rogue saw them and turned around, not wanting to see Scott with Miss Popularity.

"Hey Rogue."

'Great.' She thought to herself, turning back around.

"Are we still on for Racquetball tonight?" Scott asked.

"Uh what? Yeah... Seven okay?"

"Sounds good."

Rogue walked away.

"She's been acting strange lately." Scott noticed, "I wonder if it has to do with what happened to her with Apocalypse."

"Boys." Jean rolled her eyes.

"What does _that_ mean?"

"You're so clueless, Cyclops." She teased, using his codename to further tease him about being the team leader but having no clue about one of his members, "Maybe if you kept both eyes open once in a while."

"Wait.. are you saying that Rogue...?"

"She's been crushing on you since she came to Bayville." Jean confirmed.

"I didn't know..."

"Well, now everybody does." Jean told him.

"Why didn't anyone tell me...? Why didn't she say anything?"

Jean shrugged, "What would it have accomplished from her perspective? Especially after we started dating?"

Scott stammered before he came up with an answer, "I don't know."

Jean touched her hand to his shoulder, "Do you like _her_?"

"Rogue? No. I've kind of had my heart stolen for a long time."

"Quality save." She said, wrapping her arm around his waist, "Even though you loaned it out anyway."

" _Still_ jealous of Terran?"

"I was _never_ jealous of..."

Scott gave her a look that she couldn't avoid, even under his shades.

"Only a little." She decided.

"It's okay." He told her, cupping her chin. "She hasn't even talked to me once since she found out that we were mutants."

"You poor baby."

Clearly, not the right thing to say.

"I just meant that we're over... forever. It's just you and me now, Jean." Scott said, hopefully bettering the situation.

"What about Rogue?"

"You tell me." Scott said, pressing his forehead to hers to make it easier for her to read his mind.

"I don't have too..." Jean said, smiling.

"Do it anyway."

She tried to focus and saw a highlight reel of their best times together as friends. From as far back as the time she came to the Xavier Institute to become the first X-Woman, preceded only by Scott who was the first X-Man.

It went all the way through their memories, down to the most recent ones.

"You're telling the truth... happy now?"

"Undoubtedly." Scott replied, kissing her passionately.

"Enough of that, One-Eye. I got a job for you." Logan said, approaching the entranced couple.

"Job?" Scott asked.

"New mutant showed up in Gary, Indiana. It's a rough place so bring your big-boy clothes."

"Gary? Isn't that the ghetto? One of the most dangerous places in the country for mutants?" Jean asked.

"They ain't too friendly to us. That's why we're keeping the crew small, you and me Cyclops. You'll be ready to go in ten minutes." Logan said, walking away without waiting for a response.

"So much for our relaxing day together."

"So much for just you and me forever." Jean stated, not really annoyed by the sudden change of plans. It was the life of the X-Men.

"I'll be back as soon as I can." Scott promised, kissing her one last time before he took off to grab his uniform and a change of clothes.

He grabbed his emergency duffel bag and ran out his bedroom door, knowing that the punishment would be unforgiving if he was late for anything that had to do with Wolverine.

He ran through (yes, through, not into) Kitty and asked her to tell Rogue about the change of plans.

"Why?" She shouted as he ran down the hall.

"New mutant! Logan!"

"Nuff said." Kitty muttered to herself, knowing that Logan was not a man to be kept waiting. But it did make her wonder why Xavier would choose Scott and Logan to recruit a new mutant, instead of himself and one of the others? "He's got to have a reason." She decided, before going off to find Rogue.

* * *

 **It is in my professional opinion that in this once chapter I have exceeded what I did with The Darkest Power. I'm hoping that you feel the same and love this fanfiction the way so many others enjoy my stories. I am honored to have the fans I do and wish that I could write a story that everyone could enjoy. One for every fandom and every ship. Obviously it's not, but I want you to know how much I appreciate reviews, followings, and favorites.**

 **If you would be willing to do any of those things, for this story or any other, I'd be touched. And I'll be happy to respond in some way, shape, or form to any and all questions. I am happy to take into consideration requests, and to accept good constructive criticism on all of my stories.**


End file.
